China Renames 6 Places In Arunachal Pradesh Post Dalai Lama’s Visit

The Chinese government, amid the diplomatic tussle after Dalai Lama’s visit to Tawang, has renamed six places in Arunachal Pradesh that it says belongs to Southern Tibet.

The renaming of the places took place on April 13, a day after the Tibetan spiritual leader concluded his 9-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China saw Dalai Lama’s visit to India as a boisterous diplomatic venture and warned that consequences would follow after his visit.

“China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs announced on April 14 that it had standardised in Chinese characters, Tibetan and Roman alphabet the names of six places in ‘South Tibet’, which India calls ‘Arunachal Pradesh’, in accordance with the regulations of the central government,” Global Times said on Wednesday.

The six places in Arunachal Pradesh have been renamed as Wo’gyainling, Mila Ri, Qoidengarbo Ri, Mainquka, Bumo La and Namkapub Ri. The names have been standardised in Chinese characters through Tibetan and Roman alphabet.

China said that the renaming of the place was to “reaffirm the country’s territorial sovereignty to the disputed region.” It said that these places in Arunachal Pradesh connected to South Tibet through Buddhism.

“The South Tibet region is located alongside China’s southwestern border and India’s north-eastern border where Sino-Indian border disputes are cantered,” the report said.

“The standardisation came amid China’s growing understanding and recognition of the geography in South Tibet. Naming the places is a step to reaffirm China’s territorial sovereignty to South Tibet,” a professor of ethnic studies at Beijing’s Minzu University of China said in the report.

While India has maintained that Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh is apolitical in nature, China has claimed that India is using the Tibet card to prick the contentious relationship.